Archive for June 28, 2007

Reflections and Thanksgiving From Uganda

28 Jun, 2007 

Martha and Robin loving on kids.Well, today will be the last day of what was for me and the rest of the team, a life changing experience in Uganda. We have had our "ups" and "downs", but mostly "ups". We have seen some of the worst situations of abuse and poverty that you can imagine. However, we have also seen so many children that we met in those extreme situations get new homes, provision and hope. I was concerned about how we would provide for all of the kids that I kept saying "yes" to each day; kids who, through tear and fear filled faces, told me in detail about the abuse they were experiencing every day. They were hopeless. I just knew I couldn’t say "no" to them. Surely someone would care and respond to our calls for assistance. You did respond and we are now going to be able to support these children monthly!  As a matter of fact, there are only around 15 or so kids remaining to be sponsored from this most recent trip. There are now over 2 million orphans just in Uganda, but we have saved some of them! By the way, the newspaper here just printed that the population of Uganda is now 31 million people! Close to 3 million people live in Kampala, about as much as live in the entire state of Oregon. Uganda and Oregon are approximately the same size in land mass. Just a bit of trivia for you.:)

New hojme for 36 kids for less than $1000 per year!I was also concerned about where we would house all of these kids since our new project on the 20 McKenzie pointing to Hope Children's Homeacres is just beginning and our home is now packed with kids. A thought came to be about the possibility of renting a place until our permanent facilities are financed and built. I asked Pastor Prossy about this and she pointed to a brand new home with six rooms that has just been built. The rent on this home will be less than $100 per month! Wow! We are going to be able to provide a new home to 36 kids who will fit in this home for around $1000 per year. I doubt you will ever find an investment even close to that type of return; rescuing 36 kids for less than $30 per YEAR! The photo of the house is on the left. On the right you can see Hope Children’s Home in the very near distance. We will be hiring additional staff, bringing our paid staff to around 20! God is good. He told me to take them in and that he would provide. I of course, never doubted:)

There are so many testimonies, but I will have to tell more of them later. As we head out today, please pray for our traveling safety as well as the adjustments that come as you enter back in the American life and church. Things are different and sometimes the transition is also challenging.

Thanks again for reading these updates. I hope they encouraged you and inspired you. Thanks also for your response in helping us fulfill the ministry that God has given for us to do. He is so in this project that it is unbelievable. What a privilege to be able to reach out in love, one child at a time! Maybe you can join us on the next trip! Throw away all of your preconceptions and see your life and perspective be changed forever!

Mike Salley
Show Mercy International
PO Box 607
Albany, Oregon  97321
www.showmercy.org

Squeaky Wheels that Roar…A testimony from Uganda

28 Jun, 2007 

 
I have been on this side of the world with you reading the same posts you have been reading.  My heart has been so moved by all that has taken place this past month in Uganda (as well as the response of our partners).  Who would have known that Hope Children’s Home would have grown from about 60 children to close to 95 children?  I sure didn’t, but I am so glad that it has!  I can’t wait to go and meet all of our new kids.  We are planning a trip  to Uganda for the middle of September 2007, but we will send out another post soon with the details.  I would love for you to go with me and meet all of these new children.

I received the following letter by email from one of the team members that is currently in Uganda with Mike.  After I read it, I was reminded that words like discouragement, complacent, quit, can’t do it, too tired, too expensive and every other word that fits into that family of words will not and can not exist in my vocabulary.  The HARD to read stories of these kids has spurred me on to continue to do what I can.  Together, we ARE making a difference and the TRUTH is, we have just begun!  I look forward to our journey together this next year. Will you join with us and become a squeaky wheel that ROARS!  (I just read that phrase in the July issue of Vanity Fair Magazine - which is dedicated this month to Africa.   You should get a copy. It will inspire you)  Will you mention to your friends and community businesses about ways they can help us to save a life?  I am!

Lori Salley

Show Mercy International
PO Box 607
Albany, Oregon  97321
www.showmercy.org
541-905-0791


Gatelin Richardson
June 24, 2007
 Gatlen
Well, today we went with Show Mercy to Hope Children’s Home. I keep saying this, but I don’t have the words to describe what I saw there. They are all just little kids, and my heart has never hurt this badly. Kids walk up to me, grab my hand and then walk me around. They just want to be held and hugged. There was this little girl who had cuts and scars all over her and jiggers in her skin. She was two and a half years old, and she was one of the kids they took in just last week.  Before this, she lived on the street, and she would dance and hold out her hands for money when she would hear music. She had to do this on the street. I just looked at her and held her, and she held me and looked at me as if that was the first time she has ever been held and loved. She didn’t want to let go… I am starting to cry just thinking about her right now. It kills me. 
Something like seven kids gave their testimony today, and that is enough. All of those kids were crying so hard they could barely talk. Robert, one of the kids, has taken care of his brothers and sisters for an entire year. He and his two brothers and one sister were left for dead; well, that is, his parents hoped they would die. They left the children in the house and came home every two months or so. Robert, who is twelve, would go on the streets and work to provide food for his siblings. Some days he would be able to feed them and other nights all they would have is water. When his dad would finally come home, he would beat him for taking care of his little brothers and sisters. Robert said that the beatings would stop him from working for a few days, and then he would either just go back to the same job or find another place to work. This happened several times.

Another boy was crying and shaking so hard that the interpreter could hardly hear what he was saying. His story was that he had to watch his father murder his twin brothers (I removed what Gatelin actually wrote, because it is very gruesome).  After that, he just ran and ran with his younger siblings until Show Mercy finally found them.I could not stop crying today. These kids are so beautiful, and I don’t understand how their parents could not love them. I have never hurt like this for people, my heart is completely torn apart for them. We prayed over all of the kids as they were crying, and it was evident that God was healing their hearts from the things they had experienced. These kids have a stronger faith in Christ than most of the people I know…end of story.

After we prayed over them, we went back inside the church, and Mike asked if I would speak to the kids and some of the people from the village. God gave me the words as I told them that they were designed to do mighty things. I read them Mark 10, which is when God welcomes the little children, telling them how much He loves them and how they will do great things; great things such as the fact that they have performed miracles inside of each of us. I talked about how the boys needed to be strong and be leaders of their friends and family, helping them to come to Christ. I told them how many people wanted to kill great individuals in the Bible, and how that means that they are going to do incredible things. I also explained how God has a plan for what He is going to do in and through their lives.

Right after that, we were walking around and this little girl, who couldn’t have been more than three, came up to me. She was wearing a torn dress with flowers on it, and she held out her hands for me to pick her up. I did. She was the most beautiful little girl that I have ever seen. She just wanted to be held by me without saying a word. Eventually, the bus came and I had to set her down.  My heart hurts so badly…that little girl’s name was Desseri.